Campaign Update for Week of Feb 23

No news from the Missouri Supreme Court on Reggie’s case.

Bad News
In spite of legal challenges to Missouri’s execution protocol, the State executed Michael Taylor at 12:01 am today. I recount the words of the father of Ann Harrison, the victim of the terrible crime by Michael Taylor and co-defendant, Roderick Nunley. Although he wanted justice for his daughter, Bob Harrison recognized the Taylor family as victims too. Harrison told the Kansas City Star, “They didn’t deserve this to happen to their family. “ Harrison went on to say he was not eager to see another man die.

Another execution has already been scheduled. Jeff Ferguson will die by lethal injection on March 25. We will keep you posted on the developments in this case.

Good News
Walter Weaver has been on Missouri’s Death Row for 25 years. His sentence was actually overturned in 2007 by the U.S. Supreme Court. At issue was an inflammatory statement made by then-prosecutor Buzz Westfall. Westfall made a reference in his closing arguments to a quotation by General Patton from the movie “Patton.” Legal wrangling in the case didn’t get resolved until last week when Weaver received life without parole.